Brewster TM: Voters to debate cannabis ban

Thursday

Due to financial issues and the lack of state certified free cash Brewster’s fall town meeting warrant has been shortened to just 15 articles, with capital spending articles removed.

However, there will be plenty to discuss with the citizen’s petition articles that would regulate marijuana-related business in town.

Article 13 would ban retail recreational sales, as well as commercial cultivation, testing, product manufacturing or packaging in Brewster. It is a general bylaw that requires a majority vote. At a Brewster Community Network forum Tuesday the Haven Center (hoping to open a recreational/medical outlet on Route 6A) sent two representatives while petition proponents did not formally present their case.

“Prohibition has failed,” Jim Borghesani of the Haven Center said. “Marijuana has been in Brewster for decades. I’d like to see it switch from illicit means to legal under the direction of town officials in secure facilities that check IDs. There is demand and people want safer, tested products.”

The article would not prevent the Haven Center from operating its medical outlet but the representative argued the center could not survive as a medical outlet alone. Its permit application is before the Cannibis Control Commission and it has not yet filed with the town.

Petition proponents have argued that recreational marijuana is incompatible with Brewster’s character; there would be increased traffic issues, more impaired driving and drug problems, and the proposed locations are in the wrong neighborhoods.

Borghesani said the Haven Center would go to court if the article was passed and seek to overturn it, as Brewster has a zoning bylaw permitting recreational sales already in place. Borghesani said the shop could bring in $420,000 to $762,000 in tax revenue for Brewster.

Article 14 is a zoning bylaw that would eliminate recreational sales but permit other businesses in the industrial zone.

Article 15 would increase the setback of marijuana businesses from churches and schools to 1,000 feet, from 500.

Other articles would rescind funding for the Long Pond boat ramp ($115,000) and Upper Mill Pond project ($148,720) as the funds are not actually available, borrow $290,500 to cover Brewster’s final costs in demolishing the Tri-Town septage plant, spend $410,000 of Community Preservation Act money rehabbing the barn at the Cape Rep theatre and finally Article 12 would amend the accessory dwelling bylaw by scraping it and replacing t with rules designed to encourage more affordable housing.

“The idea is to create more year round renting, especially for singles, young families and the elderly, to better utilize our housing stock,” explained Housing Coordinator Jill Scalese, “and also to possibly create another income opportunity for seniors so they can possibly stay in their home.”